Tech Diving and Air Integration

[ktomlinson]

AI in tech diving was brought up in another thread, and it quickly became apparent that there are strong opinions on the pro and con side of the topic. If you are a tech diver and have an opinion on using AI, let me know your opinion! Also, if anyone has ever had a failure of AI, please post about it. I have searched for accidents or incidents with AI as a contributing factor on this and other forums but have not been able to find any instances.

 

[BabyDuck]

well, i voted 'it has no place', but really - 'it has no place for me'.

i don't think it would be awful to do a deepish dive on manifolded doubles with ai, planning to deco out on backgas. you aren't likely to hit stuff, you only have to have one transmitter, it isn't a 'you're gonna die!' scenario.

but that's not the kind of diving i usually do, so ai is not for me.

 

[ktomlinson]

Babyduck, thank you for voting! I actually deco on o2, and do not have AI on that regulator. I like AI because it keeps a record of consumption during the main part of my dives. I am aware that AI isn't well accepted in the tech community, but I have seen a couple of divers with them on their regs on a couple of tech charters and it made me think that maybe AI is slowly being accepted. I am interested in how this poll turns out, hopefully enough people will participate to give a meaningful result.

 

[616fun]

I saw AI fail on a cold dive (34F surface temps) due to battery failure. Can't say that couldn't happen to a computer though.

I'm on an iPhone so voting isn't really a capability Tapatalk offers. My vote is no, mostly because it's sinking money into a feature that's easily and effectively managed by brass and glass. That money is easily spent on useful gear or charter fees.

 

[Dive Bug Bit Me]

I don't use AI through personal choice.

I also don't see why it is an issue and have seen buddies use AI on dives with 15 to 30 mins planned deco. I have only seen it used on back gas. If some piece of equipment fails, the dive is over and you start your exit. Why is an AI any different? Some may argue an AI is more prone to failure, but really all they are saying is you may have a few dives that get thumbed early.

If your AI fails and you don't notice, then you shouldn't be tech diving.

 

[scadreau]

I use one on "shallow" (above 200') tech dives. I mostly do it because I wear that computer in gauge mode for a backup depth and bottom timer so there is no harm in having the transmitter hooked up.

Also, as ktomlinson said, I like to track my consumption during the working part of the dive. It is nice to be able to confirm what I estimated my sac to be based on work load.

If I didn't have one already, I wouldn't go out an buy one. Since I already have one, I use it on most of my dives.

 

[ktomlinson]

I do have to say that my AI is also a rec computer that I wear for a bottom timer on tech dives. I'm not sure I would buy one if I didn't already have it (actually pretty sure I wouldn't). I am mainly trying to get at the philosophy you employ as a tech diver when it comes to AI. Thanks to all of those that have voted so far!

 

[randy88k5]

I dive with AI and a SPG. I have AI purely because it came with my computer when I bought it a few years back. I mainly dive doubles, so I have AI on one post and the SPG on the other. I use the AI as the main pressure gauge with the SPG clipped off as a backup. I have the regs streamlined with the transmitter pointed down toward the tank. There is no chance of physical damage from overhead or accidentally grabbing it during a valve shutdown. Out of almost 200 dives on it, I have never needed to change either battery (though I probably will soon) and no failures. Well, it did stop transmitting pressure when I was using a scooter, but would return when I let go of the trigger. I have checked the SPG a few times before to compare pressures because I thought the AI might be wrong. It wasn't.

I like it because I have it, but I don't rely on it.

 

[PfcAJ]

Nope, not needed. If you don't need it, don't take it.

 

[TSandM]

There is a difference between AI with something like a Cobra, that is attached to the HP hose, and AI with a transmitter.

I use a plain SPG, because it's analog and I think it is less likely to fail in a major way that something that depends on a waterproof battery compartment. But my husband uses a Cobra, because we bought them when we started diving, and he really hasn't concluded that there is a good reason to change. He has pointed out, with reason, that the gently curved sides of the Cobra are less likely to trap line than the abrupt change in contour of an SPG, and in fact, I have pulled line off my gauge many times, and I don't think he has ever had to do it. Neither of us has ever had a sudden and complete failure of either strategy.

He does use a Vytec with a transmitter, and that I think you can make good arguments against. The damned thing sometimes won't synch from the get-go, and it's intolerant of anything that causes pressure to go to zero -- so if you do a valve drill with it, you're out of luck for the rest of the dive. So, if you had to close valves to solve a problem, you'd likely lose the air integration function. Of course, he doesn't dive without a backup, but the backup is the Cobra . . .

I've somehow managed to live without my pressure being read out on my wrist for over seven years now.